Why ditching silicone will make a huge difference to your hair

Shop Michael Van Clarke haircare on The Tweakments Guide here.

Alice Hart-Davis: I’m talking haircare with leading hairdresser Michael Van Clarke and one of the key things about your products, Michael, is they are all silicone-free. Now, why is silicone such a baddie? Why do we need to avoid it?

Michael Van Clarke: Well, it’s not to say that it’s a bad thing in the same way as make up isn’t a bad thing. But you wouldn’t rely on that as part of your healthcare regime.

The problem with silicone is that you can get a quick fix in that it will actually make your hair look good today.

AHD: And it’s covering up faults.

MVC: It’s covering up faults, but it’s not actually nourishing the hair at all. So that’s one thing, but the problem is that silicone builds up on the hair and it’s very difficult to get it out after. Even when people start to go silicone free, it can take 10 to 20 washes to, to get the silicone out of the hair.

And what it does, it actually replaces moisture. Most of the silicone’s are hydrophobic, so they push water away. A key element of healthcare is hydration in the same with our skin. If we keep pushing water away and stopping it coming back in, then ultimately the siliconized plastics and other elements they put in products tend to replace all the moisture content. So you end up with protein and silicone, instead of protein and water.

AHD: I mean, you’ve been silicone free on your products for quite a while, haven’t you?

MVC: Well, because I, I touch and feel hair all day long. I mean, I’ve been in the industry 43 years now, genuinely speaking, the quality of people’s hair now is worse than I’ve ever seen it.

AHD: Really?

MVC: For sure, not my own clients.

AHD: Sure, you’ve got them on these, but is silicone a large part of that reason.

MVC: It is part of it. I think people are doing so much to their hair, that takes out of the hair and not putting anything back. Now, if people learn the better ways to look after their hair, they don’t have to punish it so hard in getting what they want.

AHD: And starting by just dropping the silicone you’re building your hair back to better health!

Shop Michael Van Clarke haircare on The Tweakments Guide here.